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Jet Lag - In-flight Tips

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Peter Rogers

The secret to combating jet lag, and arriving at your destination with little or no jet lag, lies in sound preparation well in advance of your date of travel. This, however, is only the foundation of your"anti jet lag" plan and all of your sound preparatory work will be wasted if you do not also make sure that you follow a sensible routine during your flight.

Here are just five of the many things that you can do throughout your flight to reduce, or eliminate, the effects of jet lag:

Make certain that you get adequate rest.

Many men and women realize that they can't, or just don't want to, sleep throughout their flight. This is fine, although trying to get some sleep can certainly be useful. If you can't, or do not want to sleep, then you should at least ensure that you take the chance to break and should also try to plan your rest so that you'll be aligned as far as is possible with time at your destination.

If, as an example, your twelve hour flight will get you to your destination early in the morning, try to get some sleep during the second half of the flight.

Make use of easy, natural sleep remedies.

If sleeping during the flight proves difficult, even by means of such things as ear plugs and an eye mask to help simulate night conditions, you may be tempted to resort to using sleeping pills. Do not succumb to the temptation!

A discussion on the rights and wrongs of using sleeping pills is beyond the scope of this article however, suffice it to say, that the use of sleeping pills during your flight will add to the issue of jet lag, rather than assist in reducing its consequences.

There are nevertheless a variety of natural sleep remedies available today which can offer a very effective solution. Of these chamomile and lavender, often taken in the form of a tea, are perhaps the best known. If these do not work in your particular case, then a slightly stronger and incredibly good alternative would be either valerian root or melatonin.

Relax to soft, soothing music.

As an alternative to sleep, or in addition to sleeping, try listening to soft, soothing music in preference to watching the in-flight movies. Even better; attempt some kind of meditation or relaxation exercises. This won't only help decrease the effects of jet lag, but will also help maintain a normal level of blood pressure and decent circulation throughout a very long flight.

Make certain that you take some exercise.

Although it can be tempting to stay in your seat throughout the flight, getting up from time to time and strolling around the cabin will refresh your body and promote both mental and physical activity. Some mild exercise, particularly for your legs, will also help prevent the possibility of deep vein thrombosis - clots forming in the legs.

Keep yourself well hydrated.

The artificial environment created within the aircraft cabin by both pressurization and forced ventilation can lead to dehydration and thus it's very important that you maintain your fluid levels. Drink loads of water or fruit juice, but avoid tea and coffee and other caffeinated drinks. You should also avoid carbonated beverages and alcohol.

One part of the key to arriving refreshed at your destination after a long flight is to make certain that you take the chance to rest and relax during the flight and that you avoid stimulants. Taking the simple steps outlined here will certainly go a long way towards preventing jet lag.